


Lavender Haze

by magicandarchery



Category: Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Comfort, Lots and lots of feels, M/M, reconnecting, smut with angst whaaaat??, smut with semi-plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-04
Updated: 2016-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-20 01:21:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7385302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magicandarchery/pseuds/magicandarchery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus and Alec reconnect through touch</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lavender Haze

**Author's Note:**

> All the credit for this fic goes to @m-aleciseverything for chatting me this on Thursday morning: _On your way to work this morning, I want you to think of Alec and his hands and how he will worship Magnus' body with them._ This is the result of that. Thank you for being my number one cheerleader as I wrote this, otherwise this would have sat in my documents, unfinished, never to see the light of day. 
> 
> And thank you, thank you, to @jezthemadficster for loaning me a few of your beautiful words because I honestly could not have written it better than you did. 
> 
> Title taken from the lyrics of [BTSK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bx7afw6CmYc) by MS MR.

“I can’t let you come with me, Alec. Not this time,” Magnus said, his voice heavy and mournful. It wasn’t that Magnus wanted to leave Alec behind. He wanted Alec with him everywhere he went, on every mission, to fight by his side and have his back the way that Magnus would always have his. But this mission was different. Magnus’ client had sought the help of many other warlocks before coming to Magnus, having been turned down at each turn, either because the warlock didn’t have the skills necessary or wouldn’t take on the danger and risk that the mission required. Even the obscene sum of money Magnus stood to be paid and the client’s agreement that Magnus be allowed to take another warlock with him, sure in the knowledge that Catarina would accompany him, Magnus wasn’t entirely sure why he had agreed to take the risk, but forcing Alec to stay behind was the only way that Magnus had to protect him.

Alec exhaled a deep breath as he placed his hands on his hips and looked at Magnus intently, his hazel eyes boring in to him as he did his best to not continue his argument on why he should go with Magnus. The tone of Magnus’ voice was one that Alec had learned was not to be argued with. He knew next to nothing about Magnus’ mission, only that Magnus thought it was too dangerous and involved travel into one of the many dimensions of Hell.

Letting his arms fall back to his sides, Alec closed the distance between them, his hands finding Magnus’ sides and pulling him in close. “Alright,” Alec’s voice was quiet, “just be careful and come back to me, okay?”

Magnus closed his hands around Alec’s biceps. “And don’t you go off and do anything that might get you almost killed again. I won’t be here to save you this time.”

They both knew that neither could promise to do as the other had asked. Every mission had the potential to be their last, but it seemed to help them believe that they would both come home at the end of it all.

Magnus drew his hands upwards over Alec’s arms, fingers dancing over strong shoulders, recommitting every curve to his memory one more time before his hands came to a halt at the back of Alec’s neck, drawing him down until their foreheads were pressed together. Magnus inhaled slowly, taking in all that was Alec, the mingled scents of shampoo and soap filling his senses as he closed his eyes.

Alec’s lips brushed over Magnus’, slow and deliberate and purposeful. Magnus tilted his head to fit his lips to Alec’s and relished how they fit perfectly together, like two pieces of the same puzzle.

Magnus had to force himself to pull away first, slowly, bumping his nose against Alec’s as he did. “I love you, Alexander.”

“I love you, too, Magnus,” Alec choked out, his voice raspy. He cleared his throat as he stepped back just slightly to put some space between them, knowing that he wouldn’t let Magnus go unless he did, but held on to Magnus for as long as he could before Magnus turned and opened a portal, looking back as he stepped through it and was gone.

The days that followed were a new sort of torture for Alec. He was used to Magnus leaving on various missions that he was hired for but they could keep in constant contact with each other. Now they were completely cut off from one another. Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday … each day blurred into the next, one after the other, filled with his own meetings and missions and work. He filled his time away from the Institute with books and by watching old reruns of “The Golden Girls” because Magnus had insisted that he surround himself with and learn to appreciate true comedic genius. Not that any of it helped Alec ease the worry in his mind.

But Magnus was with Catarina. He would be okay. He would come back. He would come home.

By Sunday Alec couldn’t handle the emptiness and quietness of the loft anymore. He sent a group text that just said _“dinner at the loft @ 6,”_ to Jace, Isabelle, Clary, Luke and Jocelyn, and even Simon. By the late afternoon he had pots of pasta and sauce on the stove and was breading chicken to complete the chicken parmesan dish he was making.

Simon was, of course, the last to arrive with the sunset and the timing was actually perfect since Jace buzzed him up as Alec was carrying the last of the plates to the table. The dinner was everything that Alec had needed: a reprieve from the worry that took hold of his mind at night, friends giving him a reason to laugh, being together with those he cared about the most. Well, almost everyone he cared about.

“I didn’t know you could cook so well,” Luke complimented Alec as he finished the meal.

“Magnus and I do a lot of cooking in.” Alec said with a shrug. “I’ve picked up a few things.”

Alec stood and started to clear away the empty plates.

“Have you heard from Magnus at all?” Jace asked and Alec looked up, fixing him with a look.

“Yes, Jace, because our mobile provider has cell towers all throughout the many dimensions of Hell,” Alec quipped and threw a napkin at Jace before breaking out into an affectionate smile for his parabatai, a soft laugh escaping him.

The door to the loft opened and closed and the room fell silent around them. Alec, Jace, Isabelle, Clary, and Jocelyn all reached slowly for anything they could use as a weapon at the sound of slow footsteps in the hall, while Luke and Simon prepared themselves to attack if necessary. Alec swallowed nervously as he clutched a bread knife in his hand, the plates he had been carrying now stacked on the table. He took a couple of steps away from the table, toward the entry and stopped as Magnus turned the corner.

He was wearing the same clothes he had left in and every trace of the makeup he had been wearing when he left was gone. His normally perfectly styled hair was disheveled and he looked every bit the part of a man who had literally been to Hell and back.

And Alec had never thought he was as beautiful as he was then because he had come back. He was home.

The knife that had been in Alec’s hand clattered to the floor as Alec moved forward swiftly and carefully took Magnus’ face in his hands, searching his eyes before pulling Magnus in for a desperate kiss, all the fear and worry and loneliness of the past few days channeling through it.

Magnus’ hands found Alec’s sides, sliding around him to grasp the back of his shirt tightly, holding on to Alec like a lifeline as their lips moved together. And then Alec was pulling Magnus in close, enveloping him in his arms, afraid to let go again.

Behind them, Luke gestured to the dinner mess that still needed to be cleaned up and nodded toward the kitchen in a silent order for them all to take their dishes to the kitchen and go.

Neither Magnus nor Alec noticed them leave.

“Why no portal?” Alec asked, pulling away only enough to look Magnus in the eye again, his hands cradling just below Magnus’ jaw.

“My magic is drained.” Magnus answered, exhaustion woven in the words. “I had enough magic left to portal Catarina and I back to this dimension but that was it.”

Alec looked thoughtfully at Magnus for a moment, the set of his shoulders and the dullness in his eyes giving away his physical exhaustion, and an idea began forming in Alec’s mind. Grazing his hands over the curve of Magnus’ shoulders and down the length of his arms, Alec reached around him and took Magnus’ hands into his own. “Come on,” he said and turned on his heel, guiding Magnus to the bedroom and through to the bathroom.

He started running the water, letting it run until he could see steam rising from above the edges of the tub. He stopped the tub and let it fill, finding the lavender and peppermint oils that Magnus kept on hand, adding a few drops of each to the water. “Okay,” he said as he turned to Magnus, “settle in and relax. I’ll be back in a minute.”

He brushed a kiss over Magnus’ temple as he left the room and returned to the kitchen. He brewed a cup of tea and poured a glass of scotch before returning to the bathroom and sitting on the edge of the tub, looking down at Magnus soaking with his head leaned back against the edge.

“Here,” Alec said, offering the tea.

“I’m going to need something a bit stronger.” Magnus replied with a raised eyebrow, and grinned as Alec offered up the scotch instead. He took the glass and sipped slowly. “Much better.”

Alec sat perched on the tub’s edge for moment or two longer, sipping the tea, before brushing Magnus’ hair back out of his face and standing.

“Where are you going?” Magnus asked, reaching up to catch Alec’s hand in his.

“Dinner dishes aren’t going to clean themselves up,” Alec answered.

“It can wait,” Magnus said gently, “stay with me.”

The corners of Alec’s mouth curled up into a small grin as he looked down at his tea. Magnus was right, the dishes would still be there in the morning and the leftovers had already been put into the fridge so that they wouldn’t spoil. Alec didn’t know whom he had to thank for that, but he would text everyone in the morning to thank them. He set the mug of tea on the counter and undressed, climbing into the tub and sinking into the warm water. He felt himself instantly relax and could only hope that Magnus was relaxing just as much.

Alec had barely settled in before Magnus had maneuvered himself, somehow with the same catlike grace he always moved with, into Alec’s lap, straddling him.

“Hi,” Alec smiled, reaching for Magnus beneath the water, fingers dancing along the outside of his thighs. Magnus said nothing, but instead brushed a feather light kiss across Alec’s lips. “Mmmm,” Alec hummed, “can you tell me anything about your mission now?” his voice was quiet.

Magnus shook his head. “No. It’s … dark and more gruesome than you can ever imagine.” He dropped his eyes from Alec’s, focusing instead on the curve of Alec’s lips while his hands wandered upward along the length of Alec’s torso. “It makes my stomach turn to think about it.”

“Just tell me it didn’t involve Edom and your father.”

“No. It didn’t.” Magnus shook his head, tracing the outline of a fading iratze and the healing jagged edges of a scar he hadn’t seen before. “This is new.”

“Ravener demon,” Alec exhaled as he glanced down. Magnus’ hand went still, pressing flush against Alec’s chest. It would always amaze Alec that Magnus’ hands, which could be exquisitely dangerous and powerful enough to raise the earth from the rubble of its own destruction or reduce it to ashes on a whim, could be just as equally gentle and tender. Alec drew Magnus in closer until there was almost nothing between them. “I’m fine,” he whispered, “my gear took the brunt of it.”

Magnus leaned in until his forehead rested against Alec’s, his voice barely more than a whisper. “I told you not to do anything that could almost kill you.”

There was nothing that Alec could say because the very nature of shadow hunting was to take your life into your own hands with every mission. He tipped his head back until he was kissing Magnus slowly, almost apologetically. His hands pressed flat against the small of Magnus’ back, long, slender fingers dancing slowly along the smooth skin, drawing along every cut of muscle, and Magnus felt himself shudder from head to toe, hips slowly rolling forward as he fit himself flush against Alec’s torso.

Alec’s arms were around him completely then, hands exploring by memory, and Magnus hadn’t realized just how much he had needed to know how real it was to be back in this dimension, to be back with Alec until now and he felt heat ignite inside himself. He traced Alec’s lips with his tongue, unsurprised when Alec’s lips parted to grant him entry, his hand finding it’s way from Alec’s chest, over his collarbone, and to the back of his neck, fingers tangling in dark hair.

Alec felt his heart pounding harder in his chest as they moved together, a slow rhythm of lips, tongues, and rolling hips all working together and Alec couldn’t help the way he held Magnus just that much tighter, fingers pressing into pulsing muscles. Alec felt the parting of their lips and leaned up, chasing after Magnus, not yet ready to lose that connection.

Opening his eyes and inhaling a breath, Alec met Magnus’ gaze. The look in Magnus’ eyes was no longer dull and lifeless, but full of desire and want and need and Alec felt his cheeks flush. He didn’t look away as Magnus shifted over him, letting his hands drop to Magnus’ sides, his thumbs gently caressing soft skin. Alec’s breathing stuttered as Magnus slowly trailed his hand down his body, leaving a trail of burning heat in its wake. Even without magic Magnus had the ability to set every nerve in Alec’s body on fire, to make him shudder at the slightest touch, and he gasped softly as he felt those same skillful fingers circle around his cock and stoke along the length. He brought one hand up to curl around the back of Magnus’ neck as his other hand grasped ever so slightly tighter at Magnus’ side

And then Magnus was shifting again, slowly guiding Alec inside of him, his hand on Alec’s shoulder to steady himself. His breath was shaky as he breathed in, the mingled scents of lavender and peppermint now seeming to be more pronounced than they were before. Magnus leaned in and let his forehead rest against Alec’s as he closed his eyes. He tried to focus all of his energy on steadying his breathing, aware of the way his heart beat faster, long and slender fingers that danced along the nape of his neck, making his skin tingle as two souls reconnected into one.

Alec tilted his head just enough to capture Magnus’ mouth again, slow and deliberate, as though they had an infinite amount of time to be with each other, to love, free in this moment from worry and fear. Magnus’ arm circled Alec’s shoulders, and he began to rock against Alec, slow and easy, the water rippling around them as he ran his free hand through Alec’s hair again, the strands thick and soft in his fingers and God, Magnus had missed having his hands in Alec’s hair.

Alec was more than willing to let Magnus set the pace, to let himself get lost in smooth skin, toned muscles, lips and hands, everything that was Magnus. He hummed against Magnus’ lips, catching his bottom lip between his own and gently sucking, at the feel of Magnus’ hands in his hair. He kissed Magnus fully again, his jaw cradled in Alec’s hand as tongues tangled and tasted and explored.

They moved together easily, melting into each other as they did. Alec’s hands started to roam, long, beautiful, and nimble fingers touching and caressing, loving and exploring, pressing love and care into each and every touch against hot and needy skin, and the fire it was burning into Magnus’ skin was almost too much. He clamped his eyes shut tightly and swallowed hard as he curled his hand around the back of Alec’s neck, the other clutched at Alec’s shoulder.

Alec was holding him again with one arm as he took Magnus’ length into his hand, stroking in time with the movement of their hips and it took every last bit of control Magnus had to hold on. He sucked in a breath and opened his eyes to find Alec’s hazel eyes concentrated intently on him.

“Alec,” he exhaled as heat swelled furiously inside of him.

Alec nodded against Magnus’ forehead, his eyes never wavering. “I know,” he whispered and swallowed hard. Heat rippled through him and he held tight to Magnus as he felt his release wash over him in waves, a groan catching in his throat. He felt Magnus’ hand clutch tighter at the back of his neck, gasping as he followed Alec.

The bath had cooled significantly, soothing overheated skin as Magnus pressed a soft kiss to Alec’s lips. He slowly caught his breath and he felt his heartbeat return to a steady pace instead of almost beating out of his chest.

“You need rest,” Alec said, slightly hoarse.

Magnus could only nod in agreement. It would take several days’ worth of rest for his magic to be completely restored. Bracing against Alec’s shoulder, he stood carefully and climbed out of the tub, pulling towels from the cabinet beside the tub. Alec stood beside him a moment later, reaching for the second towel. “Go get into bed. I’ll take care of all of this.”

Magnus nodded in agreement and tiredly shuffled out to the bedroom. He dressed in plain black silk pajama bottoms, too tired to find a coordinating set, and climbed into bed.

He was already asleep when Alec emerged from the bathroom and dressed quickly in cotton pajama pants. He climbed into bed beside Magnus, curling up behind him, his chest pressed flush against Magnus’ back.

For the first time in days, Alec slept easily.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments & kudos are much appreciated.
> 
> Find me on Tumblr: [shad0w-writer](http://shad0w-writer.tumblr.com)


End file.
